


A Night with Nightwing

by Abbyromana



Series: The Dark Knights of Gotham [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), DC Elseworlds, Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Gen, M/M, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-06-11 19:44:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15322905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abbyromana/pseuds/Abbyromana
Summary: Sometimes, it pays to sneak out at night. Jason's not sure whether this is one of those nights.





	1. Getting Out

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kiwiliko (kukoo)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kukoo/gifts).



> This is a gift for the DickJay challenge 2018. The prompt request:
> 
> Batman is frequently described to be an urban legend but most stories acknowledge that the city sees him to be generally human so I'd love to see how you would interpret a batfamily that is significantly less rich man adopts children and more actual bat creature recluse haunting Wayne manor adopts other oddly creatured children. Can be set at any point in time (ie: when Jason/Dick were the only ones there or once whole extended family has been introduced) but I'd love to see how you think Jason and Dick interact and what sorts of species/abilities you think they would be as urban legends.

Half way out of the orphanage window, Jason heard a tired voice coming from behind him. “You aren’t sneaking out again. Are you?”

Glancing over his shoulder, Jason flashed a smile. “Why? You thinking of tagging along, Reggie?”

From the closest bed, a small, red headed boy stared wide eyed back at him. There was a tremble to the younger boy’s shoulders. As his lips tightened, the trembling suddenly stopped. “No.” The word squeaked out before he nervously swallowed, looking around him. No one else in the room stirred from their rest. Then, he continued to speak in a hushed voice. “But you heard Father Mike’s story. I mean, about that dead man nearly devoured… the other night.”

Jason scoffed, keeping his voice down at well. “Oh, come off it.”

Rising from his bed, Reggie went on, still speaking softly. “And it’s not the only one. I’ve heard others about…”

Cutting him off, Jason hissed, “They’re just stories, Reggie. Stories meant to scare little kids into being good little angels. Kind of like the stuff in the Bible.” Turning on the sill, he flashed a devious smile at the younger boy. “Now, I can tell you about some real bad stuff that actually happens in Gotham… both day and night. Stuff that would make sure you never sleep again.”

That earned him a frown from Reggie. Crossing his arms, the younger boy angrily stated, “Just the same, it’s better we stay here than be out there.” He drew in a long breath through his nose. “Besides, if Sister Mary finds you missing again, she’ll take it out on all of us.” He glanced back towards the other ten beds in the large dormitory room. Other than the occasional snore, no one else seemed to notice them talking, or at least pretended not to notice them.

Jason rolled his eyes. “God, Reggie, I’ll be fine. And no one will get in trouble, just as long as no one squeals on me.” He was about to push himself out onto the fire escape but stopped short. As he hung on to the window sill, he glared back at Reggie. “You aren’t going to squeal on me, are you?”

“And risk getting in trouble, too?” replied Reggie. “No. Just don’t be out all night.”

Jason winked. “That a boy, Reggie. I’ll bring you back a surprise just for that.”

Slipping out the window, Jason swore he could hear Reggie say something behind him. Honestly, he didn’t care enough to listen. The crisp, smoky night air of Gotham was calling to him.

oOo

Sometime after two in the morning, Jason was strolling down one of the downtown side streets. He was within spitting distance of his old stomping grounds in Park Row. He thought about sneaking off to the building that he used to call home. He wanted to see if it was still standing. Then, he thought better.

He didn’t have to sneak off to the dark corners of the city to hide anymore. No one was bothering him, much less taking notice of him. It was the one benefit of living in Gotham as well as being small for his age. The only people who took notice were the working girls, who Jason knew before being hauled off to the orphanage. After a quick favor to a few of them, they had bought him a sandwich and soda at a late-night shop.

Chomping down on the roast beef and swiss sandwich, he lost himself in the familiar darkness of Gotham. He felt ten again. He didn’t have a care in the world.

As he was about to take another bite, he heard something loudly crunching. Pausing mid step, Jason glanced towards the back alleyway nearby. It was too dark to make anything out from here. Still, Jason couldn’t look away.

Being less than a block away from the Iceberg Lounge, Jason knew he should probably ignore the noise of bones breaking. He wasn’t stupid not to imagine what it could be. Some of the infamous Penguin’s men could be roughing up a customer, who had been trying to skip out on his bill. Some goons of a mob boss could be dealing with a stool pigeon. None of which Jason wanted to be involved with. He wasn’t his father.

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Jason thought of something much darker. He started to think about what Reggie had mentioned – the man who had been mauled to death. Jason’s father use to tell him stories about the monsters roaming Gotham by night. There were a couple terrifying tales about a half man, half crocodile. Usually, the victims were drunk and stupid enough to be wandering Gotham’s underground. The more graphic stories were about huge beasts who looked animalistic but who could stand like men.

The ones his father told him the least but were Jason’s favorite were about the Bat. His father always described the Bat as a brutal, stalking behemoth of a monster. The kind of creature other monsters feared. Jason got the feeling even his dad was actually scared of this fairytale monster. That had always made Jason laugh. Now though, he started to feel afraid.

Despite all of it, something kept pushing Jason to step closer to the darkened alley. Maybe it was curiosity or maybe it was stubbornness about proving his dad’s stories false. Either way, the wet, crunching sound was just too strange to not check out. Pocketing his sandwich, he crept closer and closer to the alleyway.

Jason could practically feel the icy cold as the shadows fell upon him. Soon, he found himself off the street and deep in the dark recesses. His eyes gradually adjusted to the lower lighting. Shapes began to form, giving way to movement. The movement started to connect to the wet, crunching sound. Squinting, Jason picked up on three massive forms huddled over something near the far end of the alleyway. They were covered in thick hair, very muscular, and tall.

With a tilted head, Jason tried to see what their long arms were reaching towards on the ground. That meant, he had to step even closer. After a few more steps, Jason spotted two still forms on the dirty, wet ground. Jason felt his heart skip a few beats. They were people, or at least what was left of them.

When a squeak blew past Jason’s lips in shock, he had to slap his hands over his mouth in fear.

Unfortunately, a gruff snort told him, he had still been heard.

His eyes snapped back up towards the three massive creatures. Now, two of them were turned in his direction. Red, glistening eyes glowered at him as a snarl rolled across rows of large, white fangs. They were monsters!

His father’s stories were true! Monsters were real, and they prowled Gotham at night. Part of him was thrilled at the thought that the Bat could be real, too. Another part shook with fear as he realized he was living one of his father’s stories.

As fear gripped him, he took a shaky step back. When he saw the creatures rise from their feast, Jason turned sharply to run. Only now did he realize how deep into the dark alleyway he had gone. Even as his feet started to pick up the pace, he felt like the street was miles away from him. He wanted to scream out a curse word, but that fear constricted his throat. Still, he was determined to make it. Using his long strides, he kept his focus solely on the light of the street lamps just out of view.

That was a mistake.

 

To be continued…


	2. Stuck In a Tough Spot

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something large and dark rebound off one of the walls. Then, it landed with a bang in front of him. His way out was blocked.

Jason slid to a stop and stared up in dismay at the looming, hairy beast.

Behind him, Jason heard growling. The other two monstrous beasts were closing in behind him. Jason was surrounded. He had no way to get back to the street. Then again, he had no reason to believe he was any safer out there. The beasts might hide in the shadows, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t come out to hunt him.

Fear was pent up in his stomach, but so was something else. There was a fire growing inside of him. A need stronger than fear. He was not going to lie down and die; he’d fight. He would not be just a cautionary tale for children.

Setting his jaw tight, Jason glared back at the towering beast before him. He was a street rat. His whole life had been nothing but getting in and out of trouble. True, three giant monsters were different than any other time, but he knew tricks to get out of tight spots.

Reaching into his jacket pocket, he readied himself for the incoming attack. The towering beast before him took a long swipe. Jason dodged the beast’s attack. He ducked. Then, he dove towards a small tower of discarded crates beside a trash container.

As Jason rolled, he heard the dull thud of two of the beasts colliding into one another. With a smile on his face, he turned. He could now see two beasts lying on the ground as the third stood over them, while intently watching Jason.

The standing beast appeared to be studying him, meaning it wasn’t some dumb animal. There was true human intelligence behind those glinting red eyes. Looking more closely, Jason noticed that this beast only had one good eye. Even in the dark, Jason could make out that one eye was mostly shut. A large, white scar ran across it and part way up the beast’s forehead. Still, the beast seemed to have no trouble in seeing Jason.

Quickly, Jason pulled out the sandwich from his pocket. In a mocking tone, Jason asked, “Who’s hungry for a fresh roast beef and swiss sandwich?” He waved the sandwich in the air.

Almost immediately, one of the beasts on the ground – a smaller creature with a shorter muzzle –popped its head up in interest. Its ears twitched in Jason’s direction as its nose wiggled. The voice sounded more like a growl. Still, Jason could just make out two words. “Roast… beef?” Its large tongue ran along its white teeth as if imagining the taste of the sandwich.

Smirking, Jason threw the sandwich towards the group. “First come, first served!” The sandwich landed near the feet of the standing beast, who looked uninterested. That was its mistake. Suddenly, the interested beast on the ground lunged forward, knocking the standing beast over. All three beasts now lay in a mix of limbs with the one eyed one snapping at the other two.

Jason turned his attention towards the tower of crates beside him. Reaching over, he pushed the crates as hard as he could and tipped some of them on top of the beasts. For a few moments, they would be busy. Even as he heard them howl angrily, he was quick to look for his next plan of attack.

Instead, he noticed a drain pipe running along the side of the building, just above the trash container. From the age of seven, he had climbed drainage pipes all the time to get up and out of the reach of pursuers before. If he was lucky, he might just escape the beasts.  Without another thought, he scrambled up on top of the trash container.

Gripping tightly onto the drain pipe, he started to pull himself up. He got a good few feet up, before he heard the metal give a sharp whine and shake. Yet, it remained upright. Jason had to admit as a fourteen-year-old he was a lot heavier than his seven-year-old self. Still, he mentally prayed the pipe would hold him. Up and up he rose, not daring to look back to see if any of the beasts were pursuing him still. He was too afraid what that would do to him and whether the pipe would give out if he stopped.

Finally, he found himself reaching out to the roof’s edge. Just as he was gripping the edge, he felt something pull on his jacket. A shout of panic flew past his lips. His gaze went down only to see the beast with one eye climbing the drainage pipe as well. One paw gripped tightly to the lower half of his jacket. Its claws dug deep into the material as red eyes shone up at him.

“Let go!” shouted Jason. “Go find your meal elsewhere!”

With a roar, the beast continued to climb up the shaking pipe towards him. Jason didn’t know how long the pipe could hold the two of them. He only knew he had to get free before it finally gave out.

Releasing his grip on the rooftop, Jason tried to shake the jacket off his shoulder. It took some doing, but eventually, he found that arm free of the jacket. Returning that hand to the rooftop edge, he let go of the pipe with his other hand and tried to get it loose of the jacket, too.

As he did, Jason heard something overhead. It sounded like something flapping in the wind. He also swore he heard footsteps, but his attention was drawn away as something dug into his ankle.

Too afraid to look back, Jason screamed and kicked at whatever it was. As he flailed about, the jacket fell away. Soon the pain joined it as he tried to pull himself up. However, in his panic, he let go of the rooftop edge. That was the same moment, the drain pipe finally gave out under the weight.

There was a brief sensation of falling. Jason’s heart felt like it had stopped. Soon, the icy sensation of fear filled his veins. All he could think was that Reggie had been right; he was going to die tonight.

Then all of a sudden, he was not falling. Instead, something held him firmly. A soft, soothing voice sang to him, “You are safe. I’ve got you. You are safe, Little Bird.”

For a few brief moments, Jason only knew the strange sensation of feeling weightless. Air rushed out of his lungs replaced by a renewed warmth surrounding him. He swore he heard the most beautiful singing, more comforting than he ever remembered his mother’s voice being. Slowly, he felt himself being gently laid upon the rooftop.

“Breathe, Little Bird.”

On command, Jason drew in a deep breath, and then, coughed. Sluggishly, he blinked, trying to clear his blurry vision. Rubbing his eyes, he felt tears. He mentally scolded himself for crying. A renewed fire burned inside as he put his hands up to fight any new attacker. Even before his vision completely cleared, he could make out a blue and black form looming over him. Without hesitation, he swung at the figure. His hand was stopped short.

When his vision cleared more, the first thing Jason saw was a long, slender arm blanketed in short, deep blue feathers, holding his wrist. Eyes widening, Jason’s gaze snapped to the feathered creature.

For a several long minutes, he just stared dumbstruck at the new creature above him. He wasn’t even sure calling this incredible being a creature would do it justice. It was strikingly beautiful! His breath was taken away at the sight.

At first, Jason thought he was looking at a young man, about his own age, with feathers running along his arms, shoulders, and torso as well as mixed amongst his dark hair. Then, he started to notice an unnaturalness to some of his features. The mostly human looking, tanned face had been painted blue and black to accent the young man’s high cheekbones. The elaborately designed mask, which was encircled with tiny, blue feathers, covered the top part of its face and made his eyes look large and bright blue. More than that, Jason couldn’t help but stare at the exceedingly broad and warm smile directed at him.

“Don’t be scared, Little Bird,” said the beautiful creature, leaning over him. “I shall keep you safe.”

Jason’s throat was tight. Still, he managed to choke out a breathy response. “I’m no bird. I’m Jay...Jason.”

Slowly, bemusement seemed to fill the beautiful creature’s face. “Jay. Like a Jaybird. My favorite bird.” He gently brushed a few sweat soaked strands from Jason’s forehead with his long fingers.

Jason wasn’t sure whether it was what the beautiful creature said or how it spoke, but warmth soon flooded his face. “Uh, yeah. Oh?” The words tumbled out as his voice got stuck in his throat yet again. All he could do was dumbly smile back.

“Then, I shall call you Jaybird. Okay?”

Jason slowly nodded in agreement but said nothing.

“And you may call me Nightwing,” he told Jason. As he continued to smile, Nightwing started to hum a soothing tune. To Jason’s ear, it was such a peculiar melody, and yet, he found it so entrancing.

“Nightwing.” Jason more breathed the name than said it. Then, he openly chuckled. “Beautiful.”

That made Nightwing smile even more as he continued to sing. He gently touched Jason’s cheek, causing new warmth to bloom at the point of contact.

Jason’s breathing sped up, and his smile widened. He felt very giddy under the full attention. Nothing else really mattered at that moment.

As Nightwing’s song swelled, his feather-light touch glided down Jason’s body. Like a dance, his long fingers swept here and there over his arms, before skating across his torso. Jason remained still, enjoying the physical contact and the haunting melody. Just as the fingers swept down his legs, Jason heard Nightwing’s song abruptly stop.

Blinking in confusion, Jason saw Nightwing’s smooth features tighten with worry.  He looked rather intently at Jason’s ankle. From this angle, Jason could only see that his ankle looked shredded and bloody. And yet, Jason felt nothing. For some reason, that didn’t bother Jason either.

Running those long fingers over the appendage, Nightwing very carefully examined the wound. A few of the feathers from around his wrist even started to become discolored on contact. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner, Jaybird. Luckily, the wound is mostly superficial. I have…”

Jason just smiled, starting to feel a little twinge of pain, especially when Nightwing prodded the wound. Still, he tried not to show it. “It’s okay. I’ve had worse.”

Nightwing’s gaze met his own. A single, dark blue eyebrow arose in question. “That is not okay… ever. One so young should not…”

Feeling a tightness in his chest, Jason lifted his chin defiantly. “I’m not that young.”

There was a hint of concern as well as interest to Nightwing’s voice. “Oh?”

“I’m practically an adult!” said Jason, purposefully lowering his voice. He hoped Nightwing hadn’t noticed the occasional break in it.

Giving Jason a half smile, Nightwing asked, “How old would that be?”

Coughing, Jason kept his voice an octave lower than normal. “Well… fourteen.”

With a couple small nods, Nightwing commented, “Oh! That old, huh?”

Jason pulled his hurt leg out of Nightwing’s hold and gave him a glare. The pain started to increase when he did that, so Jason focused on his anger instead. “Don’t tease me! I’ll have you know that’s old for a street rat.” When he saw Nightwing’s eyebrows rise again, he sneered at him. “Yeah, I bet you didn’t know I grew up on these streets, Bird Boy!”

“Bird boy?!” There was a snort of amusement. “I’m not a…”

Nightwing’s chuckle made Jason stomach tighten. He felt the fire in his stomach reignite. “Don’t laugh! I’ve seen things you can’t even imagine. Seen the worst this city has to throw at a kid… or any adult.”

Nightwing seemed to be fighting his own grin without much success. Shaking his head, the soft black hair amongst the crown of blue feathers waved gracefully over Nightwing’s painted forehead. A moment ago, it would have been entrancing. Right now, Jason wanted to be staring at anything else.

Cursing under his breath about pretty birds, Jason turned his attention to his hurt ankle. The searing pain aside, Jason could see his ankle had a good sized bite taken out of it. It wasn’t deep enough to see the bone, but he wasn’t going to be able to pass it off to Sister Mary as some small accident he had in the dormitory.

“But really, I’m not a bird.” Nightwing’s melodic voice drew Jason’s back from his worries.

Sneering at Nightwing, Jason spat, “Then, what’s with all the feathers, huh?” Looking pointedly at him, he scrutinized Nightwing. “And… and…” Suddenly, he caught sight of something very iridescent blue. In a blink of an eye, two things unfolded and refolded out of sight behind Nightwing’s back. “Is that…?”

Nightwing put up his hands, stopping Jason’s question. For the first time, Jason saw long talons on the end of his fingers. They looked razor sharp, but he hadn’t felt them at all when Nightwing was checking him over. “Okay. Okay. I’m sorry. You are very mature. I can see that.” Then, he softly started to sing again.

Jason found his eyes begin to widen. A new wave of warmth washed over him. The frustration of a second ago was replaced with calmness. His shoulders relaxed again, and he just stared in awe at Nightwing.

When Nightwing finally spoke again, there was a tone of sympathy to his melodic voice. “I’m still sorry. I… I…”

“Don’t be,” Jason breathed with a chuckle.

All thoughts of anger had long since vanished. Somewhere deep down, Jason thought that was rather strange. He didn’t know why he was forgiving Nightwing; he was sure he should still be angry. Neither did he know why he no longer felt any anger, only contentment. Only thing he knew for sure was that the switch in emotion always seemed to happen whenever Nightwing started to hum or sing. That felt like a funny thought, so for the moment, Jason ignored it.

Instead, he watched as Nightwing started to treat his wound. Gently, he placed Jason’s ankle on to his black, spandex clothed lap. Then, he produced some sort of kit from his belt. Pulling a cloth and a bottle with a reddish liquid from the kit, he soaked the cloth in the bottle’s contents. Then, he applied it to Jason’s wound.

Pain shot straight up Jason’s leg. He cringed, turning away briefly, so not to show his discomfort. As he heard Nightwing apologize and explain what he was doing, Jason caught sight of two things he hadn’t noticed before. A few feet away lied the unconscious forms of two of the monstrous beasts that had been chasing him.

“Oh! Don’t worry about those two, Jaybird,” Nightwing said. “Those werebeasts will be sleeping until daybreak. By then, they won’t be able to hurt anyone, especially after I call the police.”

“Oh!” simply said Jason as he felt Nightwing wrap up his injury.

“And you’ll be…” Nightwing was cut off by a low growl from across the rooftop.

A very deep voice suddenly spoke, “I see you found a feathered friend, Little Tidbit.”

 

To be continued…


	3. You Save Me, I'll Save You

At once, both Jason and Nightwing gazed towards the other end of the rooftop.  There stood a familiar looming figure. Jason instantly recognized it as the creature with the scar over his eye. In this light, the beast’s fur looked like a distinct silver color. That scar over his right eye stood out even more as a streak of white. The beast looked like a huge, muscular wolf but with bright red eyes, long bent legs, and razor-sharp claws.

As quickly as the beast appeared, Nightwing flew to his feet and took a defensive posture in front of Jason. He might be taller than Jason, but he was still almost half the size of the beast. Still, he took an uncharacteristic, threatening tone. “Slade.”

If it was possible, a confused expression played across the one eyed, silver beast’s face. “Do I know you?”

“Probably not,” angrily stated Nightwing, “but I know of you. The Bat told me about you and your hunting pack.”

At the same time, both Jason and the beast asked, “The Bat?”

Cocking his head to one side, Slade, the silver beast, went on speaking, “Now, why would the Bat be talking to a bird?” Then he paused, squinting at Nightwing. “Unless…” Slowly, Slade flashed his white fangs. “You… you’re the Bat’s little winged wonder. Nightbird, isn’t it?’

“Nightwing.” There was an angry tone to Nightwing’s voice.

“Yes, that’s it. Nightwing.” A rumble of a chuckle buzzed past Slade’s tightly drawn lips. “So why would the Bat have a bird as an ally? Need someone to watch the cave when he sleeps in?”

A sneer marred Nightwing’s face. Despite Slade’s question, Nightwing seemed to ignore it.  “You know you aren’t permitted in Gotham, especially with your hunting pack.”

“Because of the Bat?” chuckled Slade with a roar of mirth. “You think I fear him… or you, Little Bird.” The silver beast took a threatening step forward and flashed one of his large clawed paws.

Suddenly, Jason gasped. An expansive pair of blue feathered wings spread out behind Nightwing’s back. Then, his brain recalled the quick but bizarre folding movement behind Nightwing from before. It had to have been these gorgeous wings. Blinking at them, he tried to focus his thoughts on pulling all the pieces together. He was trying to understand why Nightwing would have wings, other than his name. Only one solution immediately presented itself. “If you’re not a bird… are you an angel?”

He got no response from Nightwing. He was still busy exchanging threats with Slade. Jason lost interest with that. Instead, he focused on the only thing his sluggish mind could. The wings.

Staring intently at them, he noticed how soft and lush they looked. Jason had seen many bird wings and butterfly wings, but these ones were very distinct. Their color alone was unlike anything he had ever seen. They matched well with the smaller ones on Nightwing’s arms, shoulders, and head. But, they seemed to gleam more brightly whenever light fell upon them in just the right way. For a second, Jason thought he might be hallucinating them, or at least, their unique quality due to his injury. So, he reached out towards the wings just to be sure they were real. As he was about to touch them, they were suddenly gone.

Blinking, Jason saw Nightwing soar across the rooftop and straight at Slade. His arms were spread wide. His talons looked ready to strike. Slade proved just a bit faster. Hit after hit either was blocked or completely missed Slade.

Slade then threw his shoulder into Nightwing’s chest, throwing him back slightly. As Nightwing adjusted his footing, Slade followed up with a powerful punch to Nightwing’s face.  The younger creature’s head snapped to one side, before he was struck again. This time he was knocked off his feet, much to Jason’s dismay.

But Nightwing didn’t stay down or still. He moved swiftly, flipping out of the way of Slade’s next attack. Then, he propelled himself upward with his powerful legs and let his wings take him out of Slade’s reach.

Nightwing appeared to have something in one of his hands and released them in a fluid motion. Three blue curved items cut through the night air. One struck Slade in the arm, drawing a howl of pain. The other two missed as Slade ducked out of the line of fire.

For an instant, Slade was focused on pulling out the curved thing from his arm. It took a few tugs to get the razor-sharp item out. Briefly, the silver beast looked at it, even sniffing at it. Then, a snarl rolled across his lips. Glowering at Nightwing, he crushed the item in one paw.

Nightwing didn’t seem fazed as he continued to hover over the rooftop. “Leave now! Before I make you regret ever coming here.”

Slade’s response was to sprint in Nightwing’s direction. From the roof, he had no chance of reaching Nightwing. However, Jason never imagined how high Slade could jump. Like a spring, he used his momentum to throw himself into the air. Nightwing looked just as shocked as Slade grabbed ahold of his legs. With the full force behind him, Slade brought Nightwing crashing back down on to the rooftop.

Jason tried to scramble to his feet, but his injury kept him in a kneeling position. Still, as he watched the carnage of Slade’s onslaught, Jason tried to crawl towards them to do something. As he drew closer, he saw Slade slashing with his claws at Nightwing who could barely defend himself. He heard shrieks of pain from the young creature.

Finally, at Slade’s feet, Jason tried to distract him. He yelled, “Hey, Ugly! Why not try that with me? Or are you scared to be outsmarted again?!”

Jason wasn’t sure if Slade actually heard him, or if Slade had thought he had knocked Nightwing out of the fight. Either way, the silver beast suddenly looked over his shoulder at Jason. “Now for you, Little Tidbit!”

There was a mix of fear and rage inside Jason again. He wanted to scramble away from the silver beast, but he knew he had nowhere to escape with his injury. Besides, he couldn’t just leave the young creature who had tried to rescue him. So instead, he did the one thing he could think of and attacked before Slade could.

Launching himself forward, he leapt onto the back of Slade. The silver beast reared up, trying to get on to his feet. Unfortunately, Jason’s added weight and the fact that Jason was scratching at Slade’s face made that difficult. The long arms reached back, clawing at Jason, but his small size was making it harder for Slade to get a consistent hold on the teen.

All Slade could really do was twist about to try to shake Jason from his hold. That was proving impossible, until something struck the ground in front of Slade. Smoke quickly filled the air. It burned Jason’s eyes and made his head spin. In his moment of daze, he felt hands pull him from Slade’s back and carry him away.

Coughing, he tried to clear his tear-filled eyes. He felt himself lowered back on to the rooftop. Then, he heard a familiar, soothing voice. “Jaybird, listen to me.” It was Nightwing’s voice. He blinked, seeing a familiar, fuzzy form of black and blue. He thought he saw Nightwing take both of his hands in his own. Then, he lifted them to Jason’s ears. “Whatever happens, keep your ears covered, no matter what.”

A roar from Slade interrupted Nightwing who bit down on his lip.

“Don’t ask why. Just stay here and keep your ears covered, okay?” Nightwing told him.

Nodding slowly, Jason did as he was told. He cupped his ears, trying to watch as Nightwing turned and rose to face Slade again. The smoke had almost completely dissipated. He thought he could see a standing Slade with his jaw trembling as if growling. He swore he saw Nightwing’s lips move, too. But he heard nothing either said.

Then, he saw Nightwing close his lips, pressing them tightly together. His gaze was locked on Slade for a few seconds. The silver beast advanced quickly forward with his claws at the ready. Then, Nightwing’s lips snapped open and his throat stretched as if singing a single note.

Only then, Jason swore he heard something – a faint and very high-pitched noise. He could only imagine how it sounded, much less how it would make him feel to hear it. Looking at the reaction from Slade, it probably would be quite painful.

Slade stopped in step, ducking his head and seeming to be in anguish.  He tried to back away, but Nightwing was advancing forward still singing that single note. The more Nightwing stepped forward, the more Slade cowered back, until he was on the edge of the rooftop.

Then, Slade snarled, or at least that’s what Jason thought he saw. He still could not hear. Either way, Slade leapt from the rooftop, vanishing from view. Only a few seconds later, Nightwing closed his mouth. Another moment passed before Nightwing turned back towards Jason. Kneeling before him, Nightwing smiled and placed his hands over Jason’s hands.

Jason let his hands be lowered. The sounds of Gotham at night came back with a reverberation of the note still seeming to echo about. He did swear he heard a few more car alarms than normal and far less voices below as if the area had been cleared, but he didn’t really care. Instead, he focused on Nightwing.

Swallowing a lump in his throat, he dared to ask, “What… what are you? And what was that? Some sort of sonic voice or…?”

Nightwing sighed. Shaking his head, he took a seat next to Jason. Instead of answering Jason, he was checking over his wrapped ankle again.

Jason frowned. “Hey! Come on. I did just help save your skin back there, didn’t I? The least you could do is tell me something.”

A smile curved Nightwing’s lips. Jason heard that familiar humming starting again. Quickly, Jason reached a hand out and placed it over Nightwing’s mouth. Nightwing stopped humming and stared wide eyed at Jason.

“I said enough! I figured out you have some sort of magic voice that can affect me, but I don’t want that. No more pacifying me like some child. ‘Cause I’m not!”

Blinking at Jason, Nightwing seemed to be studying him. There was a muffled response. Jason removed his hand hesitantly.

“Okay,” Nightwing said. “I’m not a bird. Not an angel either. I’m… a Siren." There was a deep sigh as his gaze dipped to Jason's ankle.

"A Siren? Like from Greek mythology?" Jason pressed for more than just a name. When Nightwing only gave a small nod, Jason frowned. "What does that mean? I thought Sirens were meant to be female and lived on islands, calling sailors to their doom... not rescuers of humans."

A part smile played at Nightwing's lips. "Sirens are a species. We have female and male. And yes, we do have special gifts. At least, that's what my mom always called them. The ability, you mentioned, is our voices. It has been known to 'influence', shall we say, others, especially humans." His gaze rose to meet Jason's gaze again. "Sometimes we can affect others in a positive manner, other times negatively. Other times…” His feathered brow furrowed as his shoulders tensed. He shook his head before he went on. "My parents said its something intuitive to all Sirens, but not always easy to control. We can inadvertently do things, if we don’t practice, if we aren’t in control of our emotions.  Our emotions are vital, and that's why its so important to be in control. My parents often said that to perfect...”

Jason put his hand back over Nightwing’s mouth to stop him talking. “God, you do talk a lot, don’t you?”

Nightwing’s eyes widened again. Then, he gave a shrug in response.

“I didn’t ask for your life story, you know. I just wanted to understand, so why don’t you give me the cliff notes, okay?”

Nightwing gave a muffled response.

“What was that?” Jason moved his hand away from Nightwing’s mouth again.

“Sorry. I talk a lot when I get… uncomfortable. Nervous. Alfred says it's my way of coping. For better or worse.”

“You nervous?!” There was a puff of a chuckle to Jason’s voice. “About what? I mean, I thought you’d be more nervous fighting big, bad, and silver.”

Nightwing just laughed. “Nah. That’s nothing. I can deal with fighting things like Slade. It’s more… interacting with you humans. I find your people… difficult sometimes. I never know how…”

Slapping a hand back over Nightwing’s mouth, Jason glared again. “Too much information again.”

Nightwing nodded once more.

Sighing, Jason asked a question. “If I take my hand off, will you just show me some more of your abilities? Like besides mesmerizing teenage boys and scaring away monsters. Is there anything else you can do?” He felt a smirk curve Nightwing’s mouth. Pulling back his hand, he gave Nightwing a raised eyebrow. “What?”

“Have you ever flown?” asked Nightwing.

Jason shook his head. “No. Can you…?” He made a vague gesture with his arms, imitating the large wings behind Nightwing's back.

Dick nodded vigorously.

A small tingle of excitement raced over Jason. “Show me.”

Without warning, Nightwing scooped him up into his arms. He stepped over to the edge of the building. “Hold on to me. I have a good grip, but sometimes, I need to use my arms to compensate for added weight.”

There was a rude retort on Jason’s tongue. He chose to keep it to himself. Instead, Jason wrapped his arms around Nightwing’s neck.

Expansive, iridescent blue wings unfolded, spreading out four times the width of Nightwing. Then, they started to move in forwards and backwards motions. Jason took notice that a few feathers fell away from the wings. Here and there, he noticed splotches of something dark red. Blood perhaps.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay flying?” Jason inquired, raising his eyebrows in question. 

Despite a brief cringing look on Nightwing’s face, a new, broad smile curved his lips. Looking at Jason, Nightwing asked, “What? Afraid to fly?”

Dropping his voice again, Jason sniffed dismissively. “No. Just don’t want to fall again.”

“Not going to happen as long as I’m around, Jaybird.” Then, without another word, Nightwing stepped off the edge of the building.

Jason gasped. His blood ran cold. He felt his heart leap into his throat as he buried his face into Nightwing’s neck. Every instinct told him to be ready for the impact of the ground, but nothing came.

There was a breath of a chuckle, before Jason heard Nightwing whisper into his ear. “It’s okay, Jaybird. I’ve got you.”

Still, Jason hesitated to open his eyes. He had to force himself to open them. When he did, he found himself only staring intently at the broad, winged symbol on Nightwing’s amoured chest.

“Look at the beautiful lights, Jaybird,” Nightwing encouraged him with his chin.

Slowly, Jason did as he was told. When his head finally turned away, he saw a new breathtaking sight before him. Gotham Bay was sprawled out far below them, and out in front of them, there lay the vast expanse of Gotham City. In the darkness of the night, it looked more like the brightly lit starry night sky. Jason couldn’t help but laugh as he stared in awe at the sight. “It’s… it’s beautiful!”

“Isn’t it, though?” whispered Nightwing.

Jason turned as he realized Nightwing was staring intently at him. Warmth flooded back into his face. Desperate to change the subject, Jason asked, “How long can you fly? Can we see more of Gotham?”

Nightwing smiled at him. “As much as you want, Jaybird.”

 

To be continued…


	4. Early Breakfast

Jason wasn’t sure how long they had been flying over Gotham. When it was that dark and there was so much to see of the city, time felt irrelevant. Besides, he wanted to show Nightwing just how well he knew it all. Nearly every old building: small or large, Jason could name or at least identify it as they were known on the streets. That seemed to have impressed Nightwing. He even declared that Jason was worthy of a song. Jason brushed that off.

But when Nightwing started to hum, Jason placed a hand over the Siren’s mouth. He wanted to scold Nightwing. Instead, he asked if Nightwing knew any good places to eat, which brought a big smile to his painted face.

Soon, they were soaring over the northern outskirts of Gotham City. The bright lights of downtown grew further and further away. Eventually, they were in a part of the city that Jason only sort of knew, because it was underdeveloped. Nightwing brought them to a stop just outside of a 24-hour diner. A little rundown looking, 50s style place that was only about half of the size of Jason’s dormitory at the orphanage.

Jason half expected Nightwing to send him in to get the food, despite his hurt ankle. Then again, he had wondered if Nightwing had some sort of disguise to put on when mingling with humans. After all, Nightwing with his blue feathers, his sharply drawn face, and large eyes looked so inhuman. He had to have some way to blend in with humans. How else does a being survive in a city, even as strange as Gotham.

Instead, the slender Siren folded his bright blue wings back and carried Jason straight inside the diner. A little dumbstruck, Jason didn’t fight as he was placed at a booth near the entrance. “You wait here, while I order for us.”

When Nightwing stepped away, Jason’s gaze wandered. He took in the sights of the old-fashioned establishment. Old signs and photos dotted the blank spaces here and there. A few even looked like they were from the last century. As he continued to look about, he started to notice a few other customers.

At first glance, they looked like any other person. Two female customers sat quietly in the far booth, eating their meal, while one of them was texting on her phone. Another two sat apart at the bar area, and one of them wore glasses and was intently reading a rather thick book. The last one sat one booth over from Jason; she appeared engrossed in reading the Gotham Gazette as her coffee went cold.

Just then, he caught sight of Nightwing leaning across the diner bar. With a beaming smile, he greeted a large, scruffy faced man in a dirty looking apron. “Hi, Basil! How’s the late-night business treating you?”

The large man spared him a raised eyebrow as he worked on filling a coffee machine. “Well, well. Look what a cold wind blew in.” There was a sneer on his lips and a mischievous glint to his deep, dark eyes.

Leaning back, Nightwing laughed. “Oho, oh! Is someone needing a song to cheer them up?”

Basil rolled his eyes as he turned to face Nightwing completely. “Now you know very well your soothing tones don’t affect me, Wings. And I don’t want you to distract my patrons from their meals... again.”

With a shrug, Nightwing replied, “One can always hope to cheer up someone as malleable as you.” He wrinkled his nose in a playful manner.

That earned him a chuckle and a head shake. “Okay. Okay. So I imagine you must not be out with the Bat tonight…”

“The Bat?” piped up Jason. A smile played at his lips. “Hey! I meant to ask...”

Jason noticed Nightwing stiffen suddenly. He flashed a quick glance at Jason that seemed accompanied by a soft, very short hum.

Anything he was planning on singing was cut off when Basil asked him a question. “So... why don’t you tell me what you’re doing here, Wings?”

Nightwing was quick to gesture towards Jason, beaming a renewed grin. “I thought I’d buy a late-night meal for me and my new friend here. You still doing that waffle special?”

“Friend, huh?” Basil’s narrowed gaze focused on Jason. “And where’d he find you, Kid?”

Jason wasn’t sure why, but something about Basil just didn’t sit right with him. When he looked into those deep, dark eyes something looked unnatural, like it was all fake. It put him on edge. Instead of answering, Jason crossed his arms and gave the same intense glare back.

Nightwing laughed, stepping between them. “Don’t be like that, Jaybird. Basil may look mean, but he doesn’t bite.” Then he threw a glance towards the large man. “At least, not anymore, right?”

That got a snort of amusement from Basil who shook his head. “Sorry, Kid. Just not use to your people coming here. But any friend of Wings is...”

“My people?” Jason said questioningly.

“Yeah. Humans,” he said. Then, he gestured towards the other customers. As he did, Jason noticed Basil’s arm stretch out unnaturally and change shape as if it were made of clay. His arm took on a form of a pointing stick. Then, it slowly returned to looking like a human arm again. “They don’t fit in with us.”

“You mean…” he started to say, before glancing back towards the other five customers.

Now on a second glance, Jason suddenly realized none of them were human. The pair in the far booth had longer than normal necks with spots running down the sides of their faces and elongated mouths. The one reading the book was covered in scales, and every so often a long tongue flickered out to grab something from the plate in front of him. The one a few feet down had long whiskers and a tiny pink nose. The title of the book in his hands was ‘Of Mice and Cats.’ Even the one in the next booth down from Jason looked less human than he thought. Tiny nub like antlers poked out from under her long brown hair.

His mouth fell open as he stared at the sight. “Oh, wow! You mean this place is for nonhumans?”

Basil laughed. “Nah! We don’t discriminate here, Kid,” he informed him. “We just don’t tend to get them coming in… at least, that often." His face twisted unnaturally, but his tone of disgust was clear. "And to be honest, I prefer it that way.”

Turning to look at him, Jason asked, “Does that mean you are…?”

“Complicated,” Nightwing answered for Basil. He flashed a look at the large man, seeming to give him an apologetic look. “Sorry.”

“He’s curious. Like any kid would. Better curious than fearful and ignorant, like some adults that I know.” Basil happily said. “Now, you said the waffle special, right?”

“Right,” Nightwing nodded, before winking at Jason.

“Alright, I’ll get right on it. You go ahead and take a seat.” He turned toward a pair of double swinging doors but stopped short. Glancing over his shoulder, Basil smiled at Jason. “You wouldn’t want a chocolate shake with that?”

Jason’s eyes widened. “Seriously? A whole breakfast and a chocolate shake?!

Basil gave a nod. “With whip cream and a cherry on top.”

“Hell yes!” exclaimed Jason with a huge smile. He leaned forward, placing his hands on his knees. He nibbled his lip, thinking for only a moment about one other request. In the end, his desire outweighed any fear. “Any chance you can add chocolate chips to the waffles?”

“I’d like that, too!” piped up Nightwing. He was flashing a huge smile.

A roar of laughter erupted from Basil. “For you two, no problem! Be right back.” He turned and headed through the pair of doors.

“Good thinking, Jaybird!” Nightwing enthusiastically commented, taking the seat across from Jason. “I’ve always loved chocolate chip waffles.” A happy sigh fell from his lips. His eyes slid shut as his wings unfolded but not to their full expansion. Still, it was just enough for Jason to notice that section of Nightwing’s feathers on his right wing. They looked even more stained a dark red color than before.

The happiness of the moment died. Jason frowned, leaning forward. “You are hurt. I knew it!”

“Huh?” questioningly said Nightwing. He looked over himself, until his gaze fell upon the injury on his wing. His left hand went to it. He cringed as his talons made contact, pulling back a few stained feathers. There was a deep gash into the delicate flesh beneath. “Oh! It’s not so bad. Ha! I’ve had worse.”

Jason scowled at him. “Looks as bad as my ankle.” Unconsciously, his hand went to the wrapped appendage. Squinting, he watched Nightwing retrieve his medical kit, setting it on the table. He applied some of the reddish liquid to a clean cloth and held it over his wound.

“Yeah, but this stuff helps.” His brow furrowed as if in discomfort. His voice was tight for a moment, until he coughed. “Cure for what ails you.”

Looking at the red liquid in the bottle, Jason contemplated it. “What is it?” Jason was truly interested.

“Sanitatem Sanguis, or what I like to call ‘San San.’ It is a unique, medicinal concoction. Not easy to make, and less easy to find all the proper ingredients. But if can, it help really speed up healing.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Nightwing confirmed. Then, he nodded towards Jason’s raised leg. “In fact, your ankle will almost be like new by the time your back home.”

Jason raised both eyebrows in surprise. “No kidding?”

“Well,” Nightwing replied with a question, “how does it feel? It’s been like almost four hours, since I applied it.”

Furrowing his brow, Jason thought about it. His gaze shifted as he touched the ankle tentatively. “Not bad, actually.” A breath of a chuckle fell from his lips. Warmth filled his face. “I thought that was because you’ve been carrying me everywhere, so I haven’t been using it.” 

Jason noticed Nightwing’s face had taken on a pinkish tint of its own. “Well maybe a bit, but mostly the red stuff.” As he spoke, Nightwing secured a bandage over the injury on his wing. “A family brew passed down from father to son that out does a lot of human medicine.”

Jason knew asking about it might lead into Nightwing prattling on and on. Still, he was curious. “Your father taught you it then?”

Shaking his head, Nightwing chuckled. “No. Not my father. Not even my family. Well, at least not my birth family.”

Jason couldn’t help the smile that spread over his face. “You’re talking about the Bat, right?”

As before, Nightwing tensed. “Well…”

“Oh, come on!” Jason found himself practically begging to be told more. “I know I’ve heard you mention him more than once. And Slade said you and him, you are like a team, his sidekick.”

Sighing, Nightwing raised his gaze towards the ceiling. “More like partners. At least, when he lets me be. He can be...”

Jason’s injured ankle was the only thing keeping him from climbing over the table. “Then you do know him! He is real! Really real!”

Slowly nodding, Nightwing answered, “Yes, the Bat is real. Very much so.”

Without thinking, Jason started bombarding him with questions. “Can you tell me about him? Can I meet him? Does he really snatch children out of their bedroom windows? Is he really...?” Before another question was out of his mouth, Nightwing put a hand over Jason’s mouth.

An exasperated breath flew past his lips. “And you say I’m the talker.” Jason frowned, and eventually, Nightwing lowered his hand. Sitting back, Nightwing said. “And, maybe. No. And no.”

There was a snort of amusement from the direction of the diner bar. Both Jason and Nightwing looked. Basil approached with a tray of a chocolate shake and a glass of water. “Trust me, Kid. You’re not missing much by not meeting him. Big, black, and mean is one tough cookie. He sooner beat the crap out of you than speak to you. He’s not a social butterfly, like Wings here.” Placing the two drinks, he winked teasingly at Nightwing. “Enjoy, boys!”

“He’s not that bad, Basil,” Nightwing argued, watching the large man head back towards the kitchen.

Without turning, Basil said, "If you say so."

Nightwing turned his gaze towards Jason. “B is just… well, he likes his privacy. He likes keeping to himself unless... its about the mission.”

Giving Nightwing an inquisitive look, he asked, “Mission? What mission?”

One of Nightwing’s long, feather covered arms reached across the table. He tapped Jason’s chest, “Protecting people, like you.”

“From monsters?”

“From anyone who means to hurt others, who means to take advantage of others,” Nightwing answered. “Even protecting other beings from the wrath of humans. He protects humans and other beings alike.”

“Why?”

“Because it is the right thing to do,” Nightwing said simply.

“Oh, come on! It’s got to be more than just that. You sound like a bad, after school special.”

Nightwing spied around. He appeared to be seeing if anyone was listening in, including Basil. Jason didn’t see anyone listening. Drawing in a deep breath, Nightwing leaned forward on the table. He lowered his voice and spoke to Jason. “My parents are dead, Jaybird, because of people like I'm talking about.”

Jason just blinked at Nightwing for a moment. His throat tightened, and he suddenly felt very uncomfortable. “I’m… I’m sorry.”

Nightwing gave a very pathetic attempt at a smile. “It’s okay. It happened a long time ago when I was very young. They were murdered. Not for anything they did. No. They were a means to an end.”

Jason kept his mouth shut and waited for Nightwing to go on. Seconds ticked by. Nightwing just seemed to be staring off into the distance.

Slowly, Jason felt a coldness settle over him. He gripped his shoulders as a foreboding emptiness began to grow inside of him. Blinking, Jason drew in a shaky breath. Just then, something ran down his face. He touched his cheek only to find it stained with tears. But Jason had no idea why he was crying. Then, he heard the haunting tune vibrating passed Nightwing’s tightly drawn lips.

His hand started to move in Nightwing’s direction, but he stopped short of covering the older boy’s mouth. Nightwing appeared oblivious that he was even humming. He was not in control of himself. He was not in control of his emotions, just like he warned.

Suddenly, he heard soft weeping from behind him. Jason knew he had to distract Nightwing from these dark thoughts, before everyone in the diner became a weeping mess.

“So,” Jason started, feeling a new tightness in his chest. Coughing, he pressed on. “How come I never knew this diner existed?”

Nightwing’s humming suddenly stopped. His gaze drifted back to Jason. He blinked at him. Despite staring at him, his gaze looked unfocused.

“Is it some sort of creature secret?”

“You’re human,” Nightwing said simply at first. There was a coldness to his tone. He said no more but must have noticed the confused look on Jason’s face. Drawing in a long breath, he continued, “Humans don’t tend to notice things right in front of them, or at least, they ignore them. That’s why most humans don’t know about us, except in stories. And if they can’t ignore, well…”He drew in a deep breath. The feathers on his forehead ruffled. After a moment, he released the breath. “... they hurt it, even destroy it out of fear and anger.”

“If humans are so bad, then why do it?” Jason asked as he saw Basil emerge with a tray of food. As the large man placed the plates on the table, he noticed Nightwing was not answering. Looking to him, he half expected to see that far off look in his eyes again. Instead, he saw Dick looking intently at Jason. “What is it?”

“You asked me why before,” Nightwing said. “Well, I ask you why not. Protect life. Look out for those who cannot. Return the favor that was given to me when I thought I was alone in the world.”

“Favor?” Jason inquired. “Are you talking about the Bat?”

Nightwing went quiet. A sad smile crossed his face. “Yes. The Bat was there for me. Both him and Alfred. I don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t have them.”

Jason’s gaze dropped to his food. He picked up the fork and started to poke his eggs. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to have people to be there for you, to catch you when you fall. He couldn't imagine have a family like that.

He heard Nightwing begin to talk to him. “I’m sorry Jason, I didn’t mean to make you sad. I just get lost sometimes in… my own thoughts. I…”

Jason didn’t know why, but he blurted out, “My dad was a crook...one of those bad people you talked about.”

Anything that Nightwing was going to say stopped abruptly.

Swallowing a lump forming in his throat, Jason cut the egg.

As the yellow liquid spilled out, Jason felt taken back to the last time he saw his dad. He recalled being hidden behind the couch. He saw the spilled beer, running across the dirty carpet. He could hear his parents yelling at each other in the kitchen. He remembered the disgusted looked his father gave him before he slammed the door behind him. He heard his mother's sobbing as she limped to the bathroom.

Nightwing’s melodic voice drew Jason back to the present. “I’m sorry, Jaybird.” The apology was sincere, but it didn’t make Jason feel better.

Wrinkling his nose, he felt bile rise in his chest. “Don’t be. He never was. A poor excuse for a lackey for any two-bit criminal that would hire him. Most of my life he was never around, always going in and out of jail. It was tough, but that was fine by me. I didn’t need him.” Then, his heart sank as he thought about how his dad’s actions and decisions hurt someone else close to Jason. “My mom had it worse. He took his anger out on her. But she found escape… through drugs. Ended up being a permanent escape one night.” He sniffed, feeling something threatening to bubble to the surface again.

“That’s awful, Jaybird,” Nightwing told him. Jason saw one of Nightwing's feathered arms reach out towards him.

“It is what it is.” Stabbing his fork into a sausage, he shoved it into his mouth. He chewed on it, refusing to say more.

When Nightwing didn’t immediately say anything either, Jason glanced briefly at Nightwing. There was a small smile on his lips. “Since we’re sharing, my parents were circus performers.”

Jason couldn’t help how his eyes widened. He just stared at Nightwing. After a moment, he remembered to swallow.

“I know you probably think they were part of a side show or something, but no. They were acrobats. You know high wire, trapeze, and all that,” Nightwing went on.

“No flying? Was that because they didn’t want people to know?” Jason asked

Nightwing’s smile faulted but only for a brief second. “For my mother, yes. My father didn’t have wings. But that didn’t stop either of them. They loved to perform. Most humans thought my mother’s wings were fake anyway. They never imagined we were so much more than aerialists.”

“So you’re also an acrobat?” Jason asked, trying to change the subject a bit. “Is that why you dress like that?”

Nightwing laughed loudly, even throwing back his head. “Not exactly, no, but I will say I was inspired by them. But yes. I’ve got the skills to fly.”

That made Jason chuckle, too.

They both started to eat as Nightwing told him stories about circus life. 

oOo

As the sun started to kiss the east side of Gotham, Nightwing landed on the fire escape outside of the orphanage dormitory window. Lowering Jason to his feet, Nightwing was still laughing at the ridiculous joke Jason had told him about the Penguin and the Riddler meeting on a train. He still couldn’t believe the Siren found it that amusing. It was just a childish joke.

Then again, stepping back briefly to open the dormitory window, Jason realized he had no idea how old the Siren was. Looking back briefly, he studied the Siren. He looked tall and lanky like he was a teenager, but he acted more mature than that. He had some control of his abilities. At least, Jason thought he did, and Nightwing said that took training and maturity to do so, so maybe he was a lot older than Jason.

Biting his lip, he debated asking him.

Before the question made it to his lips, the window behind him flew open. The angry face of Reggie greeted him. “Jason, you’re late! Sister Mary’s going to be here within the hour. And… and…” The small, red headed boy suddenly wore a very shocked expression on his face. Jason realized he was no longer looking at him but at the Siren behind him.

Not missing a beat, Nightwing spoke up, “You must be Reggie. Jaybird, I mean Jason, told me about you.”

“He did?” Jason noticed a sharp rise in Reggie’s voice. Then, his brow furrowed. “Are you the surprise Jason mentioned?”

Nightwing smiled warmly, before softly humming. Like Reggie, Jason felt his gaze drawn to the Siren. “You must forgive Jason. It’s my fault he was out all night. But I tried hard to bring him home safe and sound before it was too early.”

Jason blinked. He was only partially aware of Nightwing guiding him and Reggie back inside the dormitory. Then, he felt Nightwing lift Jason’s hands to his ears like before. It took a moment for Jason to snap back in control of himself. He was left to watch the others.

“Oh,” simply said Reggie. “Then, that’s okay, Mister… Mister…”

“Nightwing,” the Siren responded. “You can call me Nightwing. And may I say you are very brave to look out for your friend Jason.”

“I am,” agreed Reggie, now grinning broadly. “I have to. He never looks out for himself ever.”

That made Nightwing chuckle, and he briefly looked at Jason. There was a wink directed at him.

Looking about, Jason also became aware that Reggie wasn’t the only kid awake now. Many of the kids in the dormitory were sitting up in bed, looking at Nightwing with wide, bright eyes.

Still, Nightwing kept his sights locked on Reggie as he hummed. Stepping away from Jason, he guided Reggie to his bed. Once the red head was in bed, Nightwing then turned his attention to the rest of the room. He was saying something with his arms and wings spread wide. His face looked serene. However, with his hands over his ears, Jason could not hear Nightwing's words.

Whatever he had said in his melodic voice must have been just right. Soon, each and every one of the kids was smiling and nodding in agreement. Then, each one lied back down in their respective beds. Still, Nightwing strolled through the rows. His throat was vibrating as if he was still humming happily like a mother to her children.

At long last, he came back to Jason. Slowly, Jason lowered his hands. As on the rooftop, Jason only heard the night sounds of Gotham out the nearby window. There was a subtle reverberation of Dick's humming still lingering in the air.

"You really do have an effect on others, and not just one."

Nightwing smiled, before scooping up Jason and carrying him over to his bed. He wanted to tell Nightwing off for carrying like some child. But, for the moment, he just enjoyed the closeness of the Siren. Sure, he might blame Nightwing's mesmerizing voice for his feelings, but in truth, Jason couldn't deny how Nightwing made him feel. Jason just felt comfortable in his presence. He felt at ease more than he had ever felt in his life. And when Nightwing looked upon him with those bright blue eyes, Jason saw no pity or irritation directed at him as so many others often did. No, it was acceptance, curiosity, and adoration towards him.

Once laid in bed, Jason dared to reach a hand out towards Nightwing's face. He ran his fingers through the thick black hair, carassing the tiny, blue feathers weaved among the dark strands. Nibbling his lip, Jason tried to nonchantantly say, “So… what are you doing tomorrow night?”

That broad smile spread across Nightwing's painted face. “So eager to get into trouble again, Jaybird?”

“No,” Jason admitted with a shrug, “but I thought maybe you needed back-up. Or maybe someone for an early morning meal. I mean, when the Bat’s not available.”

“I'm flattered. Really. Thank you for the offer,” Nightwing told him with a smile, “but I think you’re a bit young.”

Taking that as an opening to ask, Jason quickly piped up. “Am I that much younger than you?”

Nightwing paused, before blinking at Jason. “Well, um. No. Not that much. Only... a few years.”

“Within dating years?”

The Siren’s face suddenly became very red. “My! You aren’t afraid of anything, are you?”

Despite warmth filling his face, Jason mustered his voice to speak. “Nope. So?”

The Siren simply smiled.

When no answer came, Jason asked, “Can I at least have a good night kiss? I mean, after you took me out to breakfast.”

When the Siren nodded, Jason leaned forward, readying his lips. His eyes slid shut as he leaned forward. Much to his disappointment, Nightwing instead leaned towards his forehead and placed a kiss upon it. Then in a melodic voice, he whispered, “May you always be protected. May nothing evil ever touch you, my Jaybird.”

“What could possibly happen,” he said sleepily.

 

To be continued…


	5. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone has been watching Nightwing and Jason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is more of a lead into possible future stories that I have in mind.

Nightwing slipped out of the orphanage window. The dark tones of his costume were a sharp contrast to the bright colors starting to light the sky. Still, they paled to the glow of his face. His smile was so large and vibrant.

Drawing in a deep breath, his gaze drifted upward. He appeared to be admiring the vanishing night. Dusk was quickly given way to day. If he didn’t hurry, he’d be easily spotted when the sun came completely over the horizon. Still, he lingered a moment more.

His bright blue wings stretched as if reaching towards the warming light. It looked like they were trying to absorb the light in some sort of ritual. Another deep breath passed his lips, before his wings started to flap. In another second, Nightwing ascended into the sky.

“Gotcha,” excitedly whispered a small boy in a red and yellow hoodie. He was just in the alleyway behind Gotham’s Good Little Angels Orphanage. He snapped a quick series of photos, capturing the majestic ascent into the pink and orange sky. He only lowered the camera when he could no longer see the blue of Nightwing’s suit.

His smile was sharply drawn but tiny compared to his big, bright blue eyes. When he tilted his head to one side, he squinted, trying to see Nightwing's flight. He was gliding on the higher altitude winds, swaying back and forth as if he didn't have a care in the world. Only when he finally dipped around the other side of Wayne Towers did the boy look away.

Instead, he turned his full attention to the small screen on his camera and started flipping through the photos. One after another there were dark or dimly lit images of the heroic creature known as Nightwing. Some of them weren't even from this night. A few further back included a blurry dark image that the boy swore was the legendary Bat.

Licking his sharply drawn mouth, the boy skimmed to the more recent images from tonight. These were more clear than any ones prior. He had caught Nightwing in action, fighting were-beasts and saving a young boy, who he just dropped off at the orphanage. He lost sight of him when they left the brownstone down the street from the Iceberg Lounge. By pure luck, he had caught up with them a few blocks from the Orphanage and seen Nightwing enter through a second floor window with the boy.

“I can’t believe I actually caught a Siren on camera!” The boy bounced up and down excitedly. He was so proud of himself. Like all the other images he had captured he was going to treasure them. They would be little reminders of the good out there, even if he often never found it at home.

Suddenly, a rough voice called out to him. “Hey! You!”

The young boy stiffened in fear. His instinct was to run. But, he remembered this alleyway only had the one exit, and the voice was coming from that direction. Quickly, he shoved the camera into his opened backpack and shouldered it on. Then he pulled his hoodie further down to hide his black hair with the red patches and buried his small, reddish hands into his front hoodie pocket.

Drawing in a shaky breath, he tried to calm his racing heart. Slowly, he turned towards the voice.

A tall, scruffy looking police officer walked up to him. There were dark circles under his brown eyes and a stern expression on his face. “What are you doing out here, Young Man?”

In a soft voice, he answered, "Nothing, Sir."

The officer scowled at the boy as if he didn't believe him. "You expect me to believe that someone your age would be out and about this late in the evening."

Swallowing nervously, the boy corrected him, "Early, actually."

The officer just looked more upset at that comment.

Quickly, the boy chirped, rolling back on his heel. "Just an early morning walk, Sir. To get the brain ready to study."

"I doubt that very much," scoffed the officer. "And I seriously doubt your parents would leave you unsupervised."

Under his breath, the boy whispered, "You'd be surprised." Then, he sighed heavily.

"What was that, Young Man?" angrily asked the officer. "You mouthing off!"

"No, Sir!" quickly replied the boy, hunching his shoulders. "I'm..." He tried to straighten his back, like his mother always lectured him to do. Still, he kept his face downward more. "I want to head home, Sir."

Squinting at him, the police officer asked, “What’s your name, Young Man?”

The boy hesitated for a moment. “Is that really, necessary? I'm just about.."

Pulling a notebook from his jacket pocket, the officer fixed him with a serious look. "Depends on whether you want to go downtown or home." Then, he readied his pen.

Blowing out an exasperated breath, the boy reluctantly answered, "Timothy, Sir. Timothy Drake.”

As he started to write down the name, his hand paused. His eyes widened and snapped once more to the young boy.“Drake? As in Drake Industries Drake?”

Sheepishly grinning, Tim nodded. “Yes, sir. That's run by my parents when they are in town that is. Right now, they are abroad. So you don't have to worry about contacting them."

Shaking his head, the officer place his fists on his hips. "If they're abroad, then who's watching you, or suppose to be?"

A small tremble ran over Tim. He tried to calm his body, but the tremble came through in his voice. "I have.. a nanny." Closing his eyes, he licked his lips. "She is okay with me going on early morning walks." That was a lie. Tim knew that, but he hoped the officer would buy.

The look on the officer's face said he did not, at least not completely.

"I’m heading home now.” He started to move past the police officer when suddenly the man grabbed the scruff of Tim’s hoodie.

“Just a second, Mr. Drake.” As the cloth started to slip off his head, Tim gave a sharp shout of fear. His hands flew up to his head, clawing at the hand on his hoodie.

He heard the officer cry out when Tim's touched him. Turning to look, he saw the officer holding his hand. He felt the fire ignite inside him. Then, he saw the fear that he saw all to often when anyone looked him in the eye.

"I'm sorry," Tim said quickly before pulling the hoodie back over his black hair with little red feathers. “But you shouldn't have done that. I’m very sensitive to light and… and I’ve got to go.” Without another word, Tim took off out of the alleyway and down the street. He didn’t even stop when he heard the police officer call after him. He prayed the officer wouldn’t tell his parents, wouldn't tell anyone. 

However, what Tim should have been worried about was the dark figure who had been watching him and police officer as he snapped his last few photos. A tall, muscular man with one good eye and smoothed back silver hair stood on top of a overlooking building. There was a smug look on his goateed face as he stared up at the orphanage window. “A Siren. Hmm. Interesting. Very interesting" Then, he looked in the direction that Tim had retreated. "Better question, what are you, little Mister Drake? And what do you know about the Siren?”

To be continued?


End file.
